Publication

The niche under siege: novel targets for metastasis therapy

2013
Reviews

Abstract

Metastasis is an inefficient process and most cancer cells fail to colonize secondary sites. There are several possible reasons for this. First, the nature of the infiltrating cells is important as a small population of cancer stem cells has been shown to have exclusive metastasis-initiating potential. Secondly, supportive niches are required to promote the outgrowth of disseminated tumour cells. S uch niches are either produced prior to the arrival of cancer cells in the target organ or are induced ad hoc upon cell infiltration. Components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) have been found to play a role in establishing these niches. This has highlighted the importance of the ECM for metastatic progression, and suggests that such components may provide alternative targets for treatment of metastastic disease. © 2012 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/cd214f86-faf6-481e-bbdc-045397b56bfc

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2013
Reviews

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/cd214f86-faf6-481e-bbdc-045397b56bfc

About this result

Related concepts (31)

Cancer stem cell

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cancer cells (found within tumors or hematological cancers) that possess characteristics associated with normal stem cells, specifically the ability to give rise to all cell types found in a particular cancer sample. CSCs are therefore tumorigenic (tumor-forming), perhaps in contrast to other non-tumorigenic cancer cells. CSCs may generate tumors through the stem cell processes of self-renewal and differentiation into multiple cell types.

Metastasis

Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, are metastases (mets). It is generally distinguished from cancer invasion, which is the direct extension and penetration by cancer cells into neighboring tissues. Cancer occurs after cells are genetically altered to proliferate rapidly and indefinitely.

Stem-cell niche

Stem-cell niche refers to a microenvironment, within the specific anatomic location where stem cells are found, which interacts with stem cells to regulate cell fate. The word 'niche' can be in reference to the in vivo or in vitro stem-cell microenvironment. During embryonic development, various niche factors act on embryonic stem cells to alter gene expression, and induce their proliferation or differentiation for the development of the fetus.